Alice's Wonderland
by A-D-E-E-E-R
Summary: She was desperate. She had no home, no money, and a criminal organisation gunning for her. She thought that she was dead. A goner for sure. That was until the Doctor changed her life, but it is for the better when Alice gets wrapped up in all things dangerous? Rewrite of Alice-the girl who didn't need a catchprase.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or anything related to the show. All rights go to the BBC. I own Alice :)**

**Author's Note: Hello! :) Here is the new and improved and totally different Alice-the girl who didn't need a catchphrase. This story will start from 9 and go to 11 hopefully so I hope that you like it!**

**Enjoy:**

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked as she picked up her skirt and jogged up to the console where the Doctor was standing.

"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story," the Doctor replied, flicking buttons on the console.

"Oh no, he was so nice," Rose whispered sadly.

She cast a look back to the doors, to which Charles Dickens was stood on the other side.

"But in your time, he was already dead," the Doctor countered, "We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy."

Rose nodded, seeing his point.

"Well that was a day and a half, wasn't it?" she laughed, breaking the sad atmosphere.

The Doctor grinned, "Yup, that is how life is around here, you should know that by now."

There was a few moments silence as Rose just watched the Doctor. The way his leather jacket swung around his back to reveal his trusty jumper when he reached across to whack another button. The way his eyes lit up when he smiled. The way _her_ eyes lit up when he smiled.

"Well… I am going to bed, Doctor. Being chased by ghost creature thingies really takes it out of a girl."

"Do you remember where it is?"

"Hm? Of course I remember. Two lefts and one right," Rose replied confidently.

"Yeah, the TARDIS has a habit of switching around the rooms. I think…" the Doctor squinted his eyes and pointed to the fourth corridor, "she has moved it there. Give me a shout if not."

"Thanks," she smiled and uncertainly walked in the direction of his pointing finger. Sure enough, the first door she came to had a budding rose on. She grinned and pushed it open.

Her room had changed. Before, it was pretty dull, with a small single bed, a tiny closet and drab, grey walls. Now, the walls were painted scarlet with a green vine weaving around the top. A large mahogany wardrobe stood proudly in the corner of the considerably larger room and a beautiful four poster bed took centre stage.

It seemed that the TARDIS had finally approved of Rose.

_I could get used to this, _the girl thought as she dropped back into the cushiony heaven that was her new bed.

* * *

A far cry away from Rose's luxury, was Alice Lockwood.

She was laid awake in her bed. Listening. Waiting. Until she heard the small click of the front door, indicating that the lock had been turned and the social worker had gone out for her nightly cigarette.

Alice swung her legs over her bed and peeled back her duvet covers to reveal herself fully dressed. She quietly slipped her feet into the boots hidden strategically under her bed so that she just had to stand up. She tiptoed to the wardrobe, careful not to wake up her roommate, and opened the closet.

A small creak was heard and Alice froze as Jessica stirred. Just as Alice thought it was game over and Jessica was going to wake up, the girl turned on her side and let out a soft snore. Alice let out a relieved breath and plucked up her packed rucksack before closing the wardrobe again.

Holding her breath, Alice bent down to Jessica's bedside table and picked up her mobile. A guilty feeling wormed its way into her stomach as she did so, but it was the only way since she didn't have a phone herself. She placed the Nokia into her pocket and consoled herself by thinking, _it is only a cheap phone, she will probably get a newer, better one now. Yeah, I am doing her a favour. _

Alice walked lightly on the balls of her feet over to the door and opened it a crack. The light from the landing bulb flooded in and Jessica moaned in her sleep from the change in the dark room. Alice hastily squeezed out and closed it behind her. Phase one, complete.

Phase two, initiate. Alice's bedroom was thankfully only on the second storey. She only had to go down one flight of stairs before running naked to freedom. Apart from the naked bit.

The girl shuffled past the bedrooms, holding her backpack tightly so that it didn't knock over any of the ornaments precariously perched on the randomly placed end tables and wake anybody up. She made it down the stairs and couldn't believe her luck when she remembered about the dodgy floorboard. She had completely forgotten about it but she must have missed it by a fraction. Fate seemed to be working on her side. Or so she thought.

Just as Alice reached the front door, she saw a shadow coming further and further up the garden path through the frosted window to the side of the doorway. The girl's eyes widened as she realised that it was the social worker back early. Alice dived into the shoe closet just as the handle jutted down. She kept the cupboard door open a crack to watch.

Mrs Andrews barrelled into the hallway, sopping wet, and muttering a string of curses under her breath.

"Damn rain. All I wanted was a fag while the brats were sleeping but- oh no! I can't have that, can I?" she murmured as she wrestled her soaking heels off.

Alice felt sickness sink into her gut as she realised what was going to happen. She barely had time to scamper to the very back of the dark cupboard and hide in the coats hanging up before the door opened fully and a pair of leather high heels came flying towards her head.

Alice let out a small squeak of pain before clapping a hand over her mouth as the heel collided with her head. She didn't dare move, she didn't dare speak, she didn't dare breathe. Mrs Andrews looked in curiously at the noise, but was distracted by a wet droplet from her hair sliding down her back.

"Argh! Oh I hate this country! I am moving to Australia!"

Alice didn't care where the old bag moved, as long as it was far away from her. Mercifully, the social worker pulled off her soaking coat and threw it in to join her shoes before shutting the door and marching up the stairs to her bedroom.

The teenager waited until the slam of Mrs Andrews's door was heard before shrugging off the coat and sneaking out of the cupboard. She put her hand to her head and gently probed the throbbing site of impact. Alice winced and drew her fingers back to see a thin line of blood coating them.

_Just, great. _

Ignoring her injury for now, Alice continued to the front door. She had seen people pick locks all the time on the television, how hard could it be? After pulling a bobby pin out of her hair and wiggling it nine billion different ways, Alice reached the conclusion that it could be very hard. Finally, just as she was about to give up and smash the door down, the lock clicked and the door swung open.

"Yes," she whispered, a grin coming to her lips.

She edged out around the door and closed it. Her boot clipped on the cobbles on the drive way, so she pulled them off and put them in her rucksack.

Her bare feet were cool and smooth against the ground and she knew that she should enjoy it while it lasted because she would be walking on the gravel soon, which definitely wouldn't be as pleasurable. But she couldn't risk anyone looking out of the window to see who as clip-clopping past their house at such a late hour. If anyone saw her, she would be back to the care home before you could say '_busted'._

Alice hurried around up the pavement, trying to put as much distance between the care home and herself as possible. She tried to ignore the sharp pain in her exposed feet as she fished out the stolen Nokia. She ducked into an alleyway and leaned against the wall. Her fingers shook slightly as she typed in the number that she had rehearsed over and over in her head but hadn't been allowed to write down in case it fell into the wrong hands. Well, the police's hands.

She typed in the number and clicked the green call button.

_Bring-bring-bring-bring._

Alice's foot tapped anxiously.

_Bring-bring-_

_"Hello?" _a deep, Scottish accented voice answered.

"Hello," Alice replied uncertainly, she didn't know what to say.

_"What business do you have ringing Avaritia?" _

"My name is Alice Lockwood and I-"

_"Wait. I am putting you through to Byron."_

The line filled with static for a moment and Alice felt her heart skip a beat. There was no way back now.

_"Ah, Miss Lockwood. I see you have changed your mind about our services," _Byron's taunting voice was thick with mockery.

"When can I get to you?" Alice asked, willing her voice not to crack.

_"Are you in still in Glasgow?" _

"Yes."

_"Then we will see you in ten minutes, Alice."_

Alice frowned, "W-what? You don't know where I am in Glasgow, it is a big city, you know."

She bit her tongue. That sounded snarky. That definitely sounded snarky. No-one got snarky with Boss Byron.

_"I don't appreciate your tone," _his voice was laced with ice.

"I am sorry," Alice apologised hastily.

_"Hm, just remember that it is you that needs us, not the other way around. We can trace your call using a system from one of our former clients. Just stand still, keep your mouth shut, and be a good girl until we arrive."_

The line went dead.

Alice lowered the Nokia and stared at its blank screen. They knew where she was from this? She suddenly felt as if the phone was looking at her. It wasn't her face dully reflected in the plastic, it was Byron's. Or rather, Byron's henchman (Byron didn't like to get his hands dirty when clients didn't cough up).

Avaritia was certainly a force not to be confronted.

Alice slid down the wall and put her backpack underneath her knees to keep it safe from the drizzle that had begun to seep from the night sky as she sat. She kept shooting nervous glances at the entrance to the alleyway, each time expecting a looming figure to be stood there. She jumped at every stray cat clattering the bins, every cab driving drunken folk home, and every fizz of the overhead power lines.

Until the sound that she had been waiting for reached her ears. The wheezing sound of a car pulling up and the doors being opened. Alice scrambled to her feet and hid her backpack behind the skip next to her, just in case they felt the need to take something as insurance.

A shadow was cast at the alleyway as three bulky men came towards the fifteen year old trying to be brave against the voice that was screaming for her to run inside her mind. She had to be collected.

"Alice Lockwood?" the man in the middle asked in a gruff voice.

Alice nodded.

The one on the right walked forward as the other two guarded the exit. The man came up to her and Alice got a good look of his face.

His hair was unruly and greasy, shaved on one side and left to grow wildly on the other. His eyes were small and beady, and held a coldness that could only belong to a worker of Avaritia. A long pink scar marred the left hand side of his face and disfigured his eye socket. Something told Alice that the person whose handiwork that was had come off worse, looking at the bulging muscles threatening to burst the seams of the man's leather jacket. Alice could practically smell the steroids on him.

"You understand what it means to be part of this deal?" he confirmed.

Alice, once again, nodded. She was too afraid that if she spoke, she would betray her true terror. Rule one; you can never _ever_ let them see you cry.

"And you know that once you take this, there is no way of backing out? And you know not to tell anyone your full name until you pay us back?"

Alice nodded, thinking the latter was a little strange but keeping her mouth shut.

The man then stared down at her for a long moment as if judging if she was worth giving the goods to, or just better being killed right there. Thankfully, he inclined his head and chose the former. He snapped his fingers (Alice noting that his pinkie and ring finger were missing) and one of the other men brought forward a plastic bag.

Alice watched carefully as they exchanged hands and kept her eye trained on the bag. She held out her hand and felt it drop into her palm. She opened it slightly and saw in the dingy light, the outline of bundles of banknotes.

"How much is in here?" Alice asked, taking even herself by surprise at how steady her voice was.

"Two hundred straight."

Alice suddenly felt a rush that had nothing to do with the burly men in front of her. She had never even seen this much money before, never mind held it. It made her (as much as she loathed herself to admit it) feel _powerful_.

The feeling was short-lived however, when the man fixed his terrifying gaze on her once more.

"Where is your stuff?" he questioned.

"Back at the care home. I couldn't risk being found packing," Alice lied, trying to ignore the faint feeling coming over her. She had just lied to the face of Avaritia.

The man nodded, taking her word for it and turned to walk away. Just as Alice thought she had gotten away with it, the man spun back on his heel and his hand connected with Alice's face with a sharp slap.

Alice cried out as she was flung sideways by the force. She used the wall to steady herself. Her eyes widened as the man came closer, so that their noses were touching. His breath was hot and putrid on her face. His teeth were bared as he grasped a handful of Alice's hair and yanked.

"Stop!" Alice whimpered.

"Now, where. Is. Your. Stuff?" he demanded, putting deliberate emphasis on each word and spitting on every syllable.

Alice's eyes darted over to the hiding place of her rucksack.

"Skip… skip," she panted breathily from the pain.

She let out a sigh as the pressure on her hair was lifted and the man walked over to the skip. He reached his hand behind it and retrieved Alice's denim rucksack. He pulled it open and rifled through the contents.

"Isn't this nice?" he drew out the gold watch that Alice had saved up to buy for months last year, "We will take this as financial insurance and…"

Alice's eyes prickled horribly as he hauled out a birthday card. It was the only one that she had ever received from her mum.

"… I think this for sentimental insurance."

The man leered evilly and pocketed her treasures. He walked back over to her and grabbed her face roughly, digging his fingers into her cheek. Alice felt the metallic taste of blood begin to coagulate in her mouth.

"You will think twice about lying to us again. I am a two strikes kind of guy. That was your first strike. The next…" he drew a thin line with his index finger on his free hand across her neck.

Alice closed her eyes. She could feel the blood pumping in her ears and wanted nothing more than to just run.

"See you very soon, Alice Lockwood."

He released her face and retreated back to the car on the roadside with his two goons. The screech of tires pierced the air, and they were gone.

Alice stood there, shock keeping her still. The bag of money was heavy in her grasp. Her bag lay abused in the middle of the alley. Alice didn't move to get it. She just stood and breathed as the drizzle turned into rain.

**Was that okay?**

**Thank you for reading, **

**Please Review,**

**Abby**

**X**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related to the show. All rights go to the BBC. I own Alice :)**

**Author's Note: Hey! I hope you are all well and having a nice day,**

**Enjoy:**

_Previously:_

_"See you very soon, Alice Lockwood."_

_He released her face and retreated back to the car on the roadside with his two goons. The screech of tires pierced the air, and they were gone. _

_Alice stood there, shock keeping her still. The bag of money was heavy in her grasp. Her bag lay abused in the middle of the alley. Alice didn't move to get it. She just stood and breathed as the drizzle turned into rain._

By the time Alice came back to her senses, she was soaked through. Her clothes stuck close to her skin and her hair was knotted in straggly threads down her back. She shivered against the cold, a reminder that she needed to get to shelter if she didn't want to end up getting sick.

Alice looked down once more at the money and stuffed it immediately into her coat pocket. It just occurred to her that she was a fifteen year old girl in a darkened alleyway in the middle of the night holding two hundred pounds in her hand; crooks would have a field day.

She picked up her equally soaking bag and walked hesitantly out onto the pavement. She didn't know why, but she expected Avaritia to be standing outside with a rifle to her head. She hadn't done anything to upset them yet, so they wouldn't come near here until the money was due to be paid back. The things that stuck out for Alice in that sentence were _yet _and _until the money was due to be paid._ It was a terrifying thought.

Of course, there were no Avaritia workers waiting for her, so she walked to the curb and held her hand out for a cab. Luckily, one pulled over. Not so luckily, he wasn't showing any signs of letting her in.

"You can't get in my cab like that, you look like a drowned rat!" the cabbie burst out as Alice attempted to climb into the back.

"Oh please, just to a hotel, please," Alice begged.

"I don't care if it is just to the next lamppost; you are not getting in my cab."

"I will pay you extra."

He shook his head.

"I will pay you _double_," Alice corrected.

He looked a little more tempted but still shook his head.

"Okay, fine. I will pay you _triple!" _

The driver's face took on a greedy mask and he finally conceded, too desirous to say no.

"Thank you," Alice thanked him sincerely as she sidled in and placed her bag between her legs.

The driver grunted in response and pressed down the pedal so he could get Alice out and get his money as quickly as possible.

"As soon as we get to a hotel mind, you are out," the cabbie warned as he pulled off the curb and sped up the street.

"That is all I'm asking for," Alice smiled politely.

She leaned back in the seat. She couldn't wait to get to a hotel, take off her clothes and have a nice warm shower. Of course, she would only be there for a few days until she got down to London. That is where she needed to be. Where she _had_ to be.

"Here," the cabbie rumbled, pulling the cab to a stop.

Alice looked out of the window and saw a large building with _Holiday Inn _written over the front of it in enormous letters.

"Oh, thank you!" Alice beamed as she unbuckled her seatbelt and gathered up her bag, "How much do I owe you?"

"Uh… well… triple… that will be thirty pounds, please."

Alice's jaw dropped, "What?! I have only been in the car five minutes at most! How much do you charge?!"

"I don't think you are really in the position to argue with me."

"Well I am not paying that," Alice stated firmly as she reached for the door handle.

However, as soon as her hand curled around it, the lock clicked down on the door. Alice turned and glared at the driver through the mirror.

"And just for that, an extra twenty pounds," the cabbie smirked.

"This is ridiculous! You can't charge me this!"

"And what are you going to do? Ring the police? I bet they would be very interested to know what a teenage girl is doing alone on the streets at night checking into any hotel she can find."

The cabbie had hit gold and he knew it.

Alice scowled and rummaged in her pocket. She counted out the appropriate money and – considering it was all in twenty pound notes – had to give him sixty. She handed it over with a violent jerk, expressing her anger.

What added fuel to her fire even more, was when the cabbie took the money and made no attempt to count out change, despite Alice's expectant hand outstretched next to his head.

"Erm, a tenner back, please," Alice prompted.

The cabbie looked back casually and shook his head.

"Run along."

The locked popped back down on the door and Alice got out. She slammed the door roughly and crouched next to the driver's rolled down window.

"I have just given you sixty pounds for a trip worth five. You better keep your mouth shut," Alice hissed, trying to make herself as threatening as possible.

The cabbie nodded and dismounted the curb, driving away once again.

Alice glared after it before walking up to the hotel's steps. She trotted up them two at a time and opened the door. It didn't seem too grand, which fitted her perfectly. Alice walked through the check in area and looked around the room awkwardly while someone was talking at the desk.

The room was furnished scarlet, with gold drapery and pillows. There were three long sofas arranged in a circle around a low set coffee table, each with plump gold coloured cushions. One sofa was occupied by a middle aged man and his son. The man was sat reading his newspaper while his son was sleeping on his lap.

Alice concentrated on the newspaper. Maybe in a few days, instead of the picture of the missing golden watch, Alice's own face would be printed there. She could imagine it- TEENAGE GIRL GOES MISSING FROM CAREHOME followed by the most unattractive mugshot that the social worker could have ever taken. That was when she really needed to be careful. When there was a public appeal, nowhere was safe.

"Um Miss?" a voice asked.

Alice snapped from her thoughts and walked forward to the now available concierge.

"Hi. I was wondering if there were any spare rooms available. Any will do, I haven't booked so…"

"I will have a look for you now," the man smiled and turned to his computer screen.

He tapped a few keys and clicked his mouse a couple of times. He looked back up at Alice.

"Yes, room twenty four is available. Is that okay?"

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, only to be shushed by the man being slept on by his son. Alice sent him a quiet apology.

"I just need to see proof that you are over sixteen," the concierge said pleasantly.

Alice felt a bolt of dread shoot through her as she reached into her pocket. _Please don't have forgotten, please don't have forgotten,_ _please don't have forgotten_. The bag crackled as her hand wormed its way in. Alice let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as her finger brushed against something laminate, not a bank note. She pulled it out and handed it over to the Concierge.

He nodded at it and handed her it back. Avaritia always gave out fake IDs to their customers under sixteen, and it is a bloody good job they did.

The nice concierge handed over a silver key with a tag saying twenty four in green writing.

"Enjoy your stay," he smiled.

Alice nodded her thanks and proceeded to the stairs. The room was on the first floor and didn't take long to find at all. Once she did, Alice slotted the key into the hole and pushed hard against the door like you have to in all hotels.

The girl stepped in and flicked on the light switch. The bulb flickered into life and cast a soft orange glow around the room. The room itself had the basics. A double bed with a pristine white duvet and pillows lay in the middle of the back wall, between two corner tables with lamps on. A desk lay opposite, on which a small box television sat. The wardrobe was small but Alice hardly had any clothes at all so that didn't matter. A door to the left led into a small bathroom.

Alice threw her bag down on the floor and walked into the bathroom. She then smiled as she peeled off her wringing wet clothes and threw them down on the floor, where they landed with a splodging sound.

Before getting into the shower, Alice looked at her reflection and pulled back her blonde fringe. There, was a bloody gash from where the heel of the shoe had hit her back in the care home. To Alice, that seemed ages ago when it was only in fact a couple of hours. Thankfully, the gash was covered by Alice's hair and would only need a plaster if she had time to get one. The side of her face was stinging red but would no doubt die down soon enough.

Satisfied somewhat that her appearance wasn't likely to cause any alarm, Alice turned the dial on the shower to hot and slipped under.

A sigh escaped her lips. The warm water rolled over the goosebumps on her skin and caressed them with beautiful warmth. A pleasant shiver ran down Alice's spine as she turned her back and let the water soothe away the tenseness in her muscles. She then let her hair be immersed in shampoo and lathered conditioner on just for the sake of a bit of luxury. After all, they were the hotel's. Alice watched as a bead of blood ran down in the water heading for the drain and she was aware of the dull ache now in her head. Perhaps that was enough heat.

Turning the dial to _off_, Alice stepped out and dried herself with one of the crisp white towels. She wrapped one around her hair and was about to wrap the other around her body when her eyes fell upon a fluffy white dressing gown hanging from the radiator. Alice reached for it greedily and slipped her arms in, revelling in its softness.

She hugged the gown around herself and peeled back the covers of the bed. She slipped her aching feet under the duvet and was sleeping before her head even hit the pillow.

* * *

Alice awoke to the fantastic feeling of rays of sun landing on her face. The girl yawned and stretched in the bed, feeling the most refreshed she had been in a long time. To think, not even twenty four hours ago, she had been running for her life in the pouring rain, and had a meeting with Avaritia. To think just yesterday, she was in that dreadful care home.

Since she had gone to bed very late, it was now mid-morning. The breakfasts would have stopped being served so a hunger driven Alice climbed into her spare pair of jeans and pulled on a t-shirt. She hung her still-wet clothes out to dry over the sink.

She brushed her hair so it fell into her usual ringlets and made sure to cover her injury with her fringe.

Walking out of the hotel, Alice was straight into the town. She had to make a straight, quick route to the bakery over the road as she wasn't as far away from the care home as she would have liked. Still, it was a place to go and her fake ID said that she was called Sandy Barber if anyone made enquires at the hotel. As long as she stayed out of the papers, she was safe at the hotel.

She made a bolt for the café and bought a fresh tea and a sausage roll to take back to her room. It was too risky to be out in the open.

Once back in the hotel, Alice ate her beverage and food, and took out the stolen Nokia. Hopefully, her old roommate wouldn't be too heartbroken about it.

Alice punched in the second number (after Avaritia) that she had memorised. She pressed the call button and held the receiver to her ear.

_"Hello, Glasgow rail ticket office," _a female voice answered with a strong Glaswegian accent.

"Hello. I am wondering if I could book a ticket for Glasgow to London, please. I am interested in reserving one and paying in cash on the day of boarding," Alice replied professionally.

_"Of course. What day would you be travelling on?"_

"Tomorrow."

_"Okay, and would you be purchasing a return ticket?" _

Alice swallowed as she said, "No."

_"That is no problem at all. Your ticket is reserved and you will be given it at the time of the payment of fifty pounds. Have a nice day."_

"You too," Alice replied politely, putting down the phone.

Fifty pounds was steep but it was bank holiday and prices were soaring. Plus Glasgow to London was quite a trek.

She wasn't worried about paying Avaritia back, however. Once she was back in London, her mother would help her out. They could be a family again. Alice just had to find her mum's new address and her life could be sewn back together.

**Thank you to: The Raggedy Time Traveller, D0ct0rwh0l0ckf4n,** **AxidentlGoddess for following/favouriting :)**

**HUGE thank you to: D0ct0rwh0l0ckf4n and DonnaWatson for reviewing. Replies will be sent to you in the next few minutes.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Please review,**

**Abby**

**X**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related to the show. All rights go to the BBC. I own Alice.**

**Author's Note: Sorry for not writing this week but my exams have been torture. **

**Enjoy:**

_Previously:_

_Fifty pounds was steep but it was bank holiday and prices were soaring. Plus Glasgow to London was quite a trek. _

_She wasn't worried about paying Avaritia back, however. Once she was back in London, her mother would help her out. They could be a family again. Alice just had to find her mum's new address and her life could be sewn back together._

Alice woke promptly at six o'clock the following morning. _The _morning. As soon as her eyelids fluttered open, a bubble of excitement rose in her chest. And a hint of something else… fear? No. Well- maybe. Just a smidge. After all, this was the crucial make or break point. If she got this right, her life would finally be back on track.

She smiled. Throwing the covers back and slipping into her clothes, Alice took one last sweep over the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Her backpack, with the money securely stored in the zipped compartment on the inside, was strapped tightly around her chest.

"Well, you have been a good room for the night," Alice declared to the open space before proceeding to check out at the desk.

"You are up early," the concierge commented as he rifled through the appropriate documents. "Are you going anywhere nice, Amber?"

"Hmm?" Alice frowned, but remembered the fake ID, "Oh yeah. Sorry, miles away," she giggled to cover her mistake, "I am catching a train. Just to Yorkshire, you know. Have a look at the dales and… stuff."

_Stop talking, Alice!_

The concierge nodded and handed her a receipt, "Have a nice time."

Alice nodded and shoved the receipt unlovingly into her bag. She made her way to the revolving doors and stood out on the pavement, breathing in the morning air. It was still dark, considering that it was only January and very early.

Thankfully, cabs worked all hours of the day and night and so, when one came trundling by, Alice stuck out her hand and climbed in the back.

"Where to, Miss?"

"The station, please," the girl answered with a smile as she settled herself into the backseat.

"No problem. That'll be a fiver."

At least this cabbie had some manners unlike the one the night she had ran away.

Careful to keep it still in the bag and out of sight of the driver, Alice began to count the money left in the bag.

Sixty had been taken by the greedy cabbie, ten for this cabby, twenty from the hotel, and two fifty for her lunch. All in all, one hundred and seventeen pounds fifty was left from the two hundred pounds originally given. The train would take another fifty pounds- so fifty seven pounds fifty would be left. Somehow she would gather the one hundred and forty two pounds fifty to pay Avaritia back.

As long as she didn't spend any more money, she would be fine.

The cab rolled to a stop and Alice climbed out, sending a hasty thank you the driver's way. He nodded his acknowledgement and speeded away.

Alice hopped up the concrete steps outside the station and approached the ticket office.

"Hello, I am Helena Carter," Alice began, thanking God that she remembered the alias she had used, "and I reserved my ticket over the phone yesterday."

"Oh, of course! I remember," the woman bent down and plucked a receipt from her cupboard, "One way to London?"

"Yep."

"Okay, that is fifty pounds, please."

Alice handed the money over quickly, having stuffed it in her pocket separately from the rest so as not to arouse suspicion.

"Excellent. Here is your ticket and enjoy your ride."

Alice took the ticket and practically bounced onto the platform.

Chaotic noises filled the inside: the quick paced footsteps of travellers searching for their train even at this time, and the frantic voice of the public address system alerting people where to go. Amongst the myriad of busy-bodies, stood Alice nervously chewing the side of her thumb.

To the right of the teen, slumped against an out of date dull red phone box, there sat a sleepy beggar who smelled like a repulsive concoction of alcohol and vomit. Grasping his cup in a weak grip, the man pleaded for spare change from passers-by, speech slurred.

Alice shuffled further away from the man.

The sharp shrill of a whistle sliced through the chaos like a knife and soon everyone was huddling around the edge of the platform, fighting for a place on the train.

Alice hugged her bag close to her protectively and dived into the huddle. Her small height gave her an advantage so that she could just weave between people and duck and dive without really being noticed. Finally, she broke through the crowds and scurried to one of the spare compartments that no-one had occupied.

She slipped into her seat and let out a sigh of relief as the train began to move again, backwards out of the station. The smooth, rhythmic movement of the train was incredibly soothing and the soft tap-tap-tap-tap of the wheels over the track was almost like a lullaby.

Alice felt her eyelids grow heavy and she didn't resist. It had been a stressful few days and she would need her full strength when she arrived in London.

* * *

Alice woke again as the train pulled to a stop at Paddington Station. However, as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw someone staring back at her.

She jumped and cried out in surprise, holding a hand to her heart.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! It's just there were no more seats left and this one had space and-" the man sat opposite her rambled.

"No, it is fine. You just gave me a fright, that's all," Alice panted, trying to restore her normal heart rate.

She supposed the whole deal with Avaritia had her on edge to start with, never mind waking up to see strangers watching you sleep.

"Are you getting off here?" the man asked, no doubt resorting to small talk to hide his embarrassment.

"Oh, yeah."

Alice stood up and threw her back pack over her shoulder, "Are you?"

"No. I am on for one more stop," the man said.

Alice nodded and proceeded to the carriage door, "Well… it was nice meeting you," she smiled awkwardly and scampered off the train as soon as possible.

Her foot touched the platform and Alice was filled with the immediate sense of home. She was home. London was her blood, it ran in her heart. It felt amazing to be back a part of it.

As the train carried on to the next station, the stranger in the compartment waved goofily at Alice as it swept past.

Alice shook her head, _what a creep_. But forgot about him as she walked out onto the street. She felt so alive! So free!

She smelled every dodgy hotdog stand on the corner of the street, ready to bolt should the food standards authority figures come knocking, every extra strong coffee from the shop over the road to get people through the day, every flash of vivid scarlet as the buses swept past. Everything.

And, as she gazed around her birthplace with beautiful nostalgia, her eyes rested on a damp _Yellow Pages_ book in a yellow plastic wrapper propped up against side door of the block of flats to her left. She walked over and knelt down to pick it up.

Alice grinned. This was exactly what she was looking for. She shoved it into her backpack and tied the strings of the pack back together to avoid losing anything- that would be disastrous.

Stuffing her hands in her pocket, Alice walked to the nearest bench and plopped down onto it. She pulled the cellophane off the Yellow Pages and began to flick through the book.

"Lockwood, Lockwood, Lockwood," Alice chanted quietly as she searched under 'L'.

Finally, her finger traced down and landed on exactly what she was looking for.

_Jenna Lockwood._

Her mother's name.

Alice's face split into a smile as she greedily read down to the address.

_ 9 Mayfield Court. _

Alice caught someone walking past's arm gently. They turned.

"Sorry, do you know where Mayfield Court is?" she asked politely.

"Uh… Mayfield is about five minutes' walk from here. You just have to carry on down the street and turn left at the junction," the man replied and carried on his business.

Alice nodded her thanks and gathered up her book. Only five minutes! Doing as she was instructed, Alice walked down the path and turned left into a run-down looking council estate.

Windows were cracked and smothered in graffiti and the whole place smelt like a revolting mixture of alcohol, drugs, and smoke. Alice cringed at the thought of her mother living in a place like this.

_The first thing we are going to do is buy a proper house somewhere. Maybe in the countryside with loads of fields and a nice village. And we could have our own garden and grow our own food to make ourselves. We would have no takeaways, just real home cooked food. Then we could sit down by the fire and watch telly until we fall asleep together. I could go to a nice school and then come home to Mum singing Frank Sinatra songs while doing the housework, _Alice fantasised, purely to take her mind somewhere other than the disgusting place her feet were taking her through.

Snapping out of her perfect daydream, Alice looked over and began to pay attention to the house numbers. It wasn't long at all until she reached number nine.

Alice frowned. The house looked empty. The lawn was wild and untamed with dandelions growing like the plague across the path and the entire grass area. The grass was thigh-high with nettles and thistles laying in waiting beneath it. The windows were covered with newspaper and were thick with mould and bird droppings.

"What're ye doing 'ere?" a rough sounding voice demanded.

Alice spun around to the source of the voice and saw an equally rough face to match it. The short, squat man reminded her of a bulldog with rabies.

"Oh, sorry. I was just looking for Jenna Lockwood. Do you know if she is in?" Alice asked hopefully.

"Nah. Lockwood moved ou' a while ago. 'Bout three months, I'd say."

Alice felt the hopeful balloon in her chest deflate rapidly, along with her plans.

"Do you know where she has gone?"

"Cornwall, she said."

The girl perked up slightly, "Are you sure?"

The ruddy man looked affronted, "Of course I'm sure! Do I look senile to ye?"

Alice shook her head immediately and thanked him before turning and getting out of the dodgy neighbourhood as soon as possible.

**Thanks for reading :)**

**Please Review,**

**Abby**

**X**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related to the show. All rights go to the BBC. I own Alice.**

**Author's Note: So sorry for the long wait for me to update! My internet was playing up and I have another two stories which kind of took over so I am very sorry about that.**

_Previously:_

_"Do you know where she has gone?" _

_"Cornwall, she said."_

_The girl perked up slightly, "Are you sure?"_

_The ruddy man looked affronted, "Of course I'm sure! Do I look senile to ye?" _

_Alice shook her head immediately and thanked him before turning and getting out of the dodgy neighbourhood as soon as possible._

Alice resurfaced on the high street once more. She wrapped her arms closer about herself as a cold chill seeped through her thin coat. The train ride from Glasgow must have been longer than she thought as the clouds began to acquire a dark tinge to them.

"Hotel it is, then," she mumbled.

It seemed that hotels where getting the better half of Alice's Avaritia fund.

She walked up the concrete steps of a convenient hotel to the right of her. It was small and poky but would definitely do the night. And though she was secretly hoping for the luxury of the previous hotel, she was content knowing that she was going to be out of the good old English rain that was about to pour. Not to mention the dark.

"Can I help, Miss?" a kind elderly woman behind the counter asked.

Alice smiled back at her politely, "Hello, I am just wondering if you have any rooms spare. I know that it is short notice and all but-"

"Not to worry, dear! Half the rooms are empty and the other half's occupants are just here out of pity, I reckon. Yeah, this whole place is going down the swanny," the woman sighed sadly.

"Well, I am sure that things will pick up in the summer," Alice encouraged, feeling more than a little sorry for the forlorn looking woman.

"We can hope, eh? Anyway, room for one, is it?"

Alice nodded.

"Okay, that will be fifteen pounds, please."

Alice marvelled at the cheap price and dipped her hand into her pocket where she had kept fifteen pounds of the total money in case she needed to reach it quickly without the danger of showing anyone the sack of notes.

"Here you go," Alice chirped as she handed over the appropriate money and took the key from the woman's outstretched hand.

"Have a nice stay," the kind woman smiled.

Alice walked up the stairs. The floors were carpeted in an old, ugly pattern of vines and flowers. The edge of the steps were worn and the floorboards creaky. The paint job was better, however. Alice deduced that it had recently been painted from the faded - but nonetheless present - smell of chemicals.

Her room was number five.

The room itself was rather cosy and homely. It wasn't sparsely furnished like other hotel rooms; it was full of ornaments and freshly plumped pillows. It could easily have belonged in somebody's house.

Alice placed her bag on the desk and sank into the armchair next to it. She was now one step closer to finding her mother. One step closer to the dream that she had been planning for almost a year now.

Deciding that it was time again to manage her finances, the girl pulled the rucksack toward her and placed it down on her knee. She pulled open the toggle and peered inside for the money.

But it wasn't there.

Alice frowned and shuffled her hand amongst the small amount of possessions in the bag. How could you lose a large sack of money in such a small bag?

Her heart beginning to hammer against her chest unpleasantly as she took her other items out, praying that she would find the money lurking at the bottom.

But it wasn't.

Bile rose in Alice's throat as she tipped the bag upside down, the contents spilling over the floor. There was no money in sight.

"No…no, no, no, no," she moaned in despair.

How?! How could this have happened!? No- that wasn't the problem, the problem was what she was going to do about Avaritia when they wanted their money back.

And by luck's horrid ballot, the Nokia phone suddenly began to vibrate from its position on the carpet. Alice looked over to it halfheartedly and felt a bolt of fear run through her.

_Incoming call: Blocked._

But Alice knew. She knew all too well. And she knew that if she answered the call, she was dead. So she let it ring. She watched with wide eyes at every vibration, every flash of the LEDs on the screen.

Finally it stopped. So, it seemed, did everything. The absence of the ringing had sucked every other noise around Alice. It was as if she was in a vacuum. The noise of the silence was deafening, until another short vibration. A text.

_Change of plans. We need the money back today. London looks so pretty at night._

_-A_

Alice closed her eyes. The tracking device in her phone, of course. They had tracked her all the way from Glasgow. She had been so stupid. And it would cost her her life.

She couldn't go to her mother's now even if she had the money for the train fare. She couldn't put her mother in danger like that. When Avaritia caught up with her, they would find out that she lost the money and would definitely kill her. No doubt about that.

That meant that she had to get out of the B&B because when Avaritia came after her, they would have no second thoughts about killing whoever was in their way. Even that innocent old woman at the reception.

"No," Alice whispered fiercely to herself, she couldn't let that happen.

She jumped to her feet.

"First things first."

Scooping up the phone from the floor, she proceeded to the en suite. She filled the sink with cold water and submerged the Nokia. It bubbled at fizzed but eventually quietened, the screen going black.

All Avaritia knew now was that she was in London. Ideally, she would have hopped on a train and got as far away from the city as possible, but there were two problems with that plan.

1. She had no money to use any form of transport.

2. She had to avoid CCTV cameras. (Avaritia had operatives everywhere, including inside the government).

So there was really only one option, the streets. That was the only place where she could duck into alleys to avoid the cameras, not have to pay any money, and no one could be murdered for harbouring her.

She quickly packed everything back into her rucksack (regretting tipping them out in the first place) and rushed down the stairs. The kind woman had disappeared, most likely to make herself a cup of tea, giving Alice the perfect opportunity to make a bolt for it.

Making sure that her hood was covering as much of her face as possible, Alice stepped out into the driving rain and began a brisk jog down the pavement. The objective was to get as far away from the B&B as possible while the rain and fog provided temporary cover from prying eyes.

Since the hood only belonged to a jumper, it was in no way waterproof. In no less than two minutes, the whole of the fabric was soaked through. It clung to Alice's skin, droplets falling down her back like little shards of ice.

Her skinny legs were beginning to tire after three miles and the rain was beginning to cease. Now was the time to find cover.

That, however, was easier said than done. It was fully nighttime now and pitch black. She didn't even have the benefit of street lights because she had to keep off the beaten track and wander in farmer's fields and country roads where there was no chance of being spotted on cameras.

As Alice squinted forward through her droplet covered eyelashes, she spotted a small light. Not from a house, but from what seemed to be the middle of a field. Hoping that it was a bonfire that a farmer had left smouldering, Alice took flight in that direction.

However, as she got closer, she realised that it was a stone bridge, protected by bracken and overgrown weeds. And between those weeds was the light from the fire. Just like a moth, Alice blindly stumbled through the foliage to reach the flame.

The thorns sliced at her hands and the nettles stung her legs but she barely felt it. The cold had acted as a numbing agent and bizarrely, Alice was desperate to feel the pain. Not just the pain, anything. She just wanted to be warm again and actually have functioning nerve endings.

Finally, she fell forwards through the wall of plants and landed on a cobbled path. She groaned and raised her head to see a sight that she definitely was not expecting. Instead of the abandoned bonfire she had been hoping for, she looked up to see a collection of tattily dressed people huddled around a burning bin full of kindling.

A homeless site.

"Hello?" one man asked, turning to Alice from his position facing the fire.

"I-I'm sorry for i-intruding, sir," Alice stuttered from the cold.

The man's eyes softened as he saw her state and beckoned her over. She hesitantly made her way over to him, dodging sleeping bodies (at least she hoped they were sleeping) and skirting around rusty trollies.

She sat down next to the man and inspected his face.

He had a large, crooked nose and a broad jaw that was immersed in stubble and tufts of a beard that a sharp piece of glass couldn't erase. Alice couldn't tell if the man was tanned or the thick layer of grime has stained his skin. His teeth were yellow with black rims and his hair unkept. Despite all of the filth, Alice was mostly drawn to his eyes. They were soft brown, gentle. They held compassion and kindness that most well-off people did not possess.

"Those with the least, shine the brightest," Alice whispered under her breath.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing," Alice replied quickly, not wanting to offend the man.

The man nodded unconvincingly but looked quite amused, "My name is Frank Lowland."

He held out a muddy hand to which Alice fitted with her own.

"Alice Lo-" she suddenly stopped short. She had forgotten her alias!

"Uh… J-Jasmine," she fumbled.

The man rose an eyebrow and put a hand on Alice's knee, "We are all running from something, here. My fake name was Steven Gerrard. I didn't understand how famous he was, back then. It completely defeated the object of hiding."

Alice allowed herself a small giggle as warmed her hands near the flames, "Alice Lockwood. So how long have you been sleeping rough?"

"Five years," Frank replied nonchalantly as if it was nothing. He must have seen Alice's jaw drop for he added, "but I sofa surfed for a while. It wasn't like I was always outside. How about you?"

"Four days in the morning," Alice answered, blushing at being such a state after such a small amount of time.

"That is a long time for someone your age," Frank commented, seemingly reading her mind, "especially in this weather. What's happened then? Had a row with your folks? If you have, go home. Whatever you have has to be ten times better than out here."

Alice brought her hands back and slipped them around her knees to curl up, "I haven't had a row. I am trying to find my mum. She left me and… I need her now."

"You a care home runaway?" Frank guessed.

Alice nodded. There was a short pause.

"Divorce," Frank suddenly piped up.

Alice looked at him in confusion.

"Nasty divorce, that is why I am here," he elaborated. "My ex-wife took everything. We had four children together. The youngest I haven't even seen. She would have been born two months after I was kicked out. She will be five now…"

Frank looked away in a mixture of regret and nostalgia.

"I'm sorry," Alice murmured.

He shrugged.

"I would have thought a smart man like you would be able to get the long straw."

"Intelligence cannot buy good lawyers, I am afraid," Frank laughed softly.

Another silence fell. This time, however, it was a comfortable silence. Alice shuffled back until her back hit the curved wall and wrapped her jacket closer around herself.

But she couldn't get too comfortable. She knew in the morning she would have to move. Avaritia would find her if she stayed in one place too long.

And even though she was under a bridge out of the rain, surrounded by people, Alice Lockwood had never felt so alone.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading :)**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Previously:_

_Another silence fell. This time, however, it was a comfortable silence. Alice shuffled back until her back hit the curved wall and wrapped her jacket closer around herself._

_But she couldn't get too comfortable. She knew in the morning she would have to move. Avaritia would find her if she stayed in one place too long._

_And even though she was under a bridge out of the rain, surrounded by people, Alice Lockwood had never felt so alone._

I could say that as Alice closed her eyes, she suddenly shot up in bed at the hotel, the money safely tucked away, and the whole ordeal had been a dream. But I would be lying. The truth is, Alice was still in the tunnel, the money was still missing, and she hadn't slept a wink. Every time her eyelids got heavy, she would get a flash of an image of the burly man from Avaritia that gave her the money, scouring the streets with a snarl on his face and a knife in his hand and she would jerk awake again.

So when the first glimmers of the morning sun crept through the clouds and into the tunnel, Alice was both pleased and a little terrified. Pleased because she would be able to hit the road again and try to find out where the money went, but terrified because it was now broad daylight and Alice no longer had the advantage of darkness.

Either way, she threw the rucksack over her shoulder and was at the mouth of the tunnel when a voice broke the serene morning silence.

"Off so soon, Jasmine?"

Alice turned to see Frank Lowland watching her from his tatty sleeping bag, his eyes bleary from sleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Alice apologised, heat rising to her cheeks.

"I am a light sleeper," Frank shrugged.

"Say, now that you are awake, do you think that you could tell me where the nearest phone box is?"

Frank scratched the stubble on his grubby chin in thought, "Uh… probably back the way you came in London."

"Aren't there any towns or villages around here?" Alice asked desperately. "I kind of need avoid London as much as I can."

"Well, there is a village a few miles up that twisty country road. It is very small and I can't recall the name but there might be one up there. It is very isolated and often gets cut off by the snow in winter so it makes sense for them to have a phone box there," Frank suggested helpfully.

Alice grinned, that sounded perfect for what she needed. Thanking Frank and wishing him well, she turned and weaved her way through the overgrowth at the mouth of the tunnel that she had battled through the previous night. It was much easier in the light than it had been in the dead of night, and Alice got through with a lot less scratches.

As Frank had told her, the girl climbed over a dry stone wall and landed on the dusty country road. The bottoms of her trousers were wringing with the early morning dew from the grass and the low sun was shining directly in her eyes, but she really didn't care. She just had to get to a phone box as soon as possible.

It took a maximum of two and a half hours to reach the tiny village – Chestnut Grove – but since Alice's pace was anything but leisurely, it only took an hour and fifteen minutes. When she did arrive, the first thing that she noticed was the crimson red phone box standing against a tall stone wall, shrouded in leaves and vines.

She jogged over with her head bowed still, and slipped into the box. Thankfully, she had some spare change in her pocket from when she had bought her breakfast the morning before she had caught the train to London. She slotted the silver coins into the machine and punched in the number for the train company.

It rang for a few seconds until a woman answered, "Hello, this is Coast to Coast train lines, Amber Kriss speaking. How can I help?"

"Hi, uh, I got a train yesterday morning and I have lost quite large sum of money. About one hundred and fifty pounds- ish. I was just wondering if anyone had reported anything," Alice replied, her nerves jangling.

"Can I ask what train you boarded and your name and age, please?"

"The six o'clock train from Glasgow to London. I can't remember what number it was. My name is Helena Carter and I am sixteen."

"Okay, I will just put you on hold for a moment to see my supervisor. He will know if anything has been handed in."

There was a shuffle – presumably Amber pressing the hold button – before tinny, elevator music floated through the receiver. Alice chewed on her lip, looking out of the glass window panes for anyone that may have noticed her.

The music lasted for another few minutes until it was shut off and the female voice returned.

"I am sorry for your wait there," Miss Kriss apologised sweetly.

"It's fine. So what has he said? Has someone found it?" Alice demanded impatiently.

"Unfortunately, no lost or unattended possessions have been reported. Since it is a considerable amount of money and no-one has seen anything, we must take into account the fact that it may have been stolen. Thanks to Coast to Coast's new anti-theft policy, the police have been notified and will look into the situation. Could I ask what carriage you were in for CCTV purposes?" she asked.

Alice's eyes widened in panic, "N-no, no, no need to get the police involved. In fact, I-I think I may have left the money at the hotel, yeah. Sorry for wasting your time."

"But the police are _already_ involved. They have asked if you could come to the station headquarters to discuss matters further."

"Seriously, it doesn't matter."

The receptionist's tone suddenly became suspicious, "You sound quite young to be carrying around such a large amount of money. The police are insisting you meet with them to discuss this."

Realisation dawned on Alice in that moment, Amber hadn't called the police to find who stole the money, she did it to find out how Alice had got it in the first place. She probably suspected that Alice had gotten the money through some illegalities. She wasn't half wrong.

"I really don't think-" Alice started shakily.

"It would be in your best interests to co-operate." The threat in her voice was exceedingly clear.

Thinking of nothing else to do, Alice slammed down the phone onto the cradle roughly. She took a few laboured breaths before thrusting her foot onto the machine in frustration, making a loud metallic bang. Dull pain blossomed over her toes but she ignored it.

With a moan, Alice slid down the side of the urine smelling box and rested her chin on her knees. She was finished. There was no way that she could get the money back, no money to get to Cornwall to her mother, no way to keep running from Avaritia, and now the police were involved.

_I am totally screwed. If the police find me first, I will be sent back to the care home and be made to confess to how I got the money. The Boss from Avaritia will then come after me for ratting on them and kill me. If Avaritia find me first, they will kill me when they find out that I can't pay them back. That is just how they work. __Either way, I am dead. I am going to die at fifteen. I never got to go to all of those places that I wanted to… I never got to go to America… or China or India. I never will be old enough to drink alcohol. I will never get married. I will never have a family. I will never have a life._

These were the thoughts that caused Alice's eyes to sting with salty tears. She forced them back and blinked rapidly to get rid of them. She was determined not to cry. Even if no-one else could see her, she refused to allow herself that weakness.

She raised her chin. Weakness. She hated the word. There was no way she was going to succumb to it. She had been through too much to give up now. Sucking in a sharp breath and pulling herself back up to her feet, she licked her lips in anticipation.

"I just need to make two hundred pounds. That will get Avaritia off my back," she muttered to herself, ignoring the little voice saying _'first sign of madness, talking to yourself!'_. She was way past that now.

Alice pushed against the door to the phone box and climbed out. Still taking measures such as keeping her hood up and out of plain sight, she made her way over to a small café across the village green.

_Seems like a good enough place to start._

A tinkling bell chimed as Alice opened the door to the café. Seeing that there were no CCTV cameras in the room, she deemed it safe enough to lower her hood. The café was small and cosy with a few circular wooden tables and ornaments perched around frosted glass windows. A dim fire crackled in the hearth to the left of the doorway. Despite its size, there were quite a few people in there; only two tables were free.

Walking slightly on her tiptoes and pushing her chest out a little to make her appear older, Alice walked up to the counter and rang the small bell. A rather stout woman with a ruddy face appeared in through the archway from the kitchens, a teatowel slung offhandedly over her shoulder.

"What do you want? Tea, coffee? We're all out of toasties if you want one," the woman grunted a little roughly.

"Actually, I was wondering if there was any chance that you were looking for a waitress. Or a chef, I mean, I can cook," Alice said, trying not to wince at the slight lie about her being able to cook. "Have you got any job vacancies?"

The woman – whose name badge Alice was able to read as _Sylvia – _looked the girl in front of her up and down with a crinkled forehead.

"Whatdya wanna work 'ere for? The wages are crap," Sylvia stated bluntly, scraping a hand over her running nose.

Alice was a little taken aback brusque reply but retained her composure, "My mum and dad want me to learn some responsibility so I can go on holiday with some of my friends," _lies, lies, lies_, "They said that if I can earn two hundred pounds, then I can go."

Ruddy-faced Sylvia suddenly made a sound somewhere between a snort and a bark, "You won't make two hundred smackers 'ere, kid. Go down to London with all the snobs, they'll pay you that for a promise not to spit on their shoes."

Alice felt a stab of anger at the woman's words, having been born and lived in London until she was nine. She wasn't a snob and neither was her mum! But realising that she really needed this job, Alice kept her cool. _Just. _

"Please just give me a chance."

Sylvia regarded her for a moment with pursed lips. She ran her tongue over her yellow teeth until she finally nodded, "Yeah, alright. Takes the pressure off me a bit. But break anything, kid, and I will break your legs. Got it?"

Alice nodded firmly trying not to let her happiness show on her face, "So how much am I paid per hour?"

"£3.72. Minimum wage for someone who is under eighteen which I presume you are."

Alice nodded, "I am sixteen."

"Right, well there is a pinny hanging up in the kitchens. Get that on and serve the drinks. Oh and don't hurt yourself. Well you can if you want but don't take it to court, I don't have insurance so that might make a bit of a problem," Sylvia grumbled and waddled over to the table near the front door.

Doing as she was told, Alice scooted past the counter and threw on the pinny. Whilst doing so, she did a rough calculation on how long it would take her to reach her target. 54 hours. Alice groaned, it was going to be a rough few days.

* * *

**Author's Note: So the money has been stolen tut tut, never fall asleep on trains.**

**HUGE thank you to ****D0ct0rwh0l0ckf4n for reviewing, a reply shall be sent to you in the next minute or two :)**

******Thanks for reading,**

******Please review,**

******Abby**

******X**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related to the show. All rights go to the BBC. I own Alice :)**

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated for a week or so, history exams are to blame *sigh*. **

**Enjoy:**

_Previously:_

_Alice nodded, "I am sixteen."_

_"Right, well there is a pinny hanging up in the kitchens get that on and serve the drinks. Oh and don't hurt yourself. Well you can if you want but don't take it to court, I don't have insurance so that might make a bit of a problem," Sylvia grumbled and waddled over to the table near the front door._

_Doing as she was told, Alice scooted past the counter and threw on the pinny. Whilst doing so, she did a rough calculation on how long it would take her to reach her target. 54 hours. Alice groaned, it was going to be a rough few days. _

Alice arched her back among the tables to weave her way to the window seat, five pints of beer perched precariously on the tray in her left hand. Miraculously: she managed to get to her destination without covering anyone in beer or impaling them with shards of glass. Mission one: complete.

"Okay, five beers?" Alice asked, though she knew what they ordered, she just thought it was common courtesy.

"Yeah, love. Just put 'em anywhere," one chap around the table spoke with a kind smile.

Alice smiled back and began to place down the drinks on beer mats around the table. She had been working for five hours now and had not seen Sylvia helping, not once.

"Where's foghorn leghorn?" another of the crew of men cackled rather drunkenly.

Alice raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Syl'," he elaborated.

"Ohh. Yeah, she's around somewhere. _Somewhere _being the operative word," Alice replied in a small voice, as if waiting for 'Foghorn Leghorn' herself to jump out from behind the table.

The man nodded in understanding, "She can be a piece of work, that one."

"Why do you still come here, then?" Alice asked, one hand on her pinny-clad hip and her head cocked to the side.

The man leaned back in his chair, "It's the only place to go. All the locals 'round 'ere meet up. We all just learn to ignore Sylvia."

Alice gave a short light laugh.

"So, err, what are you doing on Friday night?" the man asked suggestively.

Alice felt blood rise to her cheeks in embarrassment but was saved from answering by the roar of rambunctious laughter all around the table.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. He's only messin'. 'E does it with all the girls around 'ere," one of them assured her through his chuckles.

Trying not to breathe a sigh of relief, Alice decided to go for the jokey reaction. She reached out and took the man's beer from him, earning a cry in protest.

"No, no. I'll take this. You can pick it up on Friday night if you aren't out with Foghorn Leghorn," Alice teased, holding the glass out of the sitting man's reach.

A series of 'oooohh's reverberated around the table and satisfied that she was succeeding as a waitress, Alice placed the beer glass back down and laughed along with them.

"Oi, whatever-your-name-is! You aren't 'ere to flirt with Richie and Co. Table 3 wants a coffee!" Sylvia bellowed across the entire - now silent - café.

Alice turned and realised that Sylvia had been sat stuffing her face with the lemon meringue pie behind the coat rack. She cast a look over to table three and saw that a very red-faced couple were sat there with apologetic faces. Alice gave them a don't-worry-about-it look and carried on to the counter to make their coffee.

"Are you on overnight, tonight?" Sylvia asked, once again across the café.

"Am I meant to be?"

"Yeah. There's a room upstairs as well that two people are spending the night in. It's the only room this pathetic excuse for a coupling B&B has so you need to clean it top to bottom. I'll be inspecting," Sylvia finished with a long drag of a cigarette.

"Of course you will," Alice muttered under breath, delivering the coffee to a still embarrassed table 3.

As ordered, Alice then took off up the insanely steep steps up to the room. A cleaning bucket and hoover stood propped up against the wall.

"Aw, how sweet. Thanks for being so prepared, Foghorn," she mumbled sarcastically and got to work.

* * *

It took a grand total of three hours until Sylvia was satisfied with the cleanness of the room. Alice thought this was very rich coming from a woman that had dried meringue around her face and coffee streaks down her uniform but hey, what the heck.

She supposed that she looked a little worse for wear as well, though. After the ten minutes of intense scrubbing of the taps in the tiny en-suite bathroom, Alice's hair had wormed its way out of the bun she had put it in, her face was greased with polished and a thin layer of sweat lined her forehead.

Finally coming back down into the café, Sylvia went over to scoff more food in the corner and Alice leant her head in her hands atop the counter. The sound of two people bickering outside the shop floated to her ears.

"Rose, I told you not to eat your toast over it!" a male voice scolded, but it seemed slightly humoured by the situation.

"It wasn't my fault!" a female – Rose, presumably – retorted hotly. "I just would have thought your TARDIS would be a bit more sophisticated to handle a few crumbs of bread."

"It can handle crumbs. It just can't handle the entire loaf shoved into the mainframe."

"You told me that was the toaster!" Rose defended.

"I said if you stuck your hand in it, it would _toast you_," the man emphasized the latter words.

"It is hardly my fault you insist on shouting from the library-"

Alice crossed her fingers and hoped that they weren't coming in here; a rowdy couple was the last thing she needed with a headache like hers. The sound of the bell tinkling was the confirmation. She groaned and forced herself to raise her head with a wan, uniform smile on her face.

"Hi, we booked a room for two, yesterday. Is it available?" the man enquired.

"Yesterday?" Sylvia snorted. "You booked two weeks ago."

"Did I?" the man looked thoroughly confused.

_Great, I've been lumbered an overnight with the looney patients, _Alice grumbled inwardly.

"What name are you booked under?" she asked politely, burying her irritation.

"John Smith and Rose Tyler," he answered, motioning to the blonde woman next to him.

Alice nodded and came out from behind the counter, "If you will follow me, I will show you to your room."

The man grinned somewhat goofily and followed after her, the blonde bringing up the rear.

"Watch out for the stairs, they are unbelievably steep," Alice warned once she had reached the top and opened the door.

The new occupants of the room stepped in and Rose immediately cried, "There's only one bed."

"Oh. I th-thought you would have ordered a double," Alice admitted. "I'm sorry. It is the only room we have got."

"It's fine," Rose assured her once she had recovered from her shock, and plonked down on the bed. "He can sleep on the floor."

Alice giggled at the affronted look on John's face.

"Charming," John muttered good-naturedly.

"Have you got any bags that I can bring-" Alice started.

"OI! WHATEVER-YOUR-NAME-IS! CAFÉ IS CLOSING UP! I'M OFF HOME. DON'T BURN THE PLACE DOWN AND I WILL BE BACK IN THE MORNING!" Foghorn Leghorn bellowed up the stairs.

"Okay," Alice replied meekly, proving that you didn't need to tear a lung for someone to hear you less than fifteen metres away.

Once she heard the slam of the door and the windows rattle, Alice turned to the guests.

"That was the delightful Sylvia, but do join me and the rest of the world in calling her Foghorn Leghorn," she smiled.

Rose and John chuckled. _They don't seem that bad, _Alice thought happily.

"Do you want to come down for some free tea? She'll never notice that it's gone. Unless you touch her lemon meringue, then she will send a lynch mob after you," Alice told them conversationally as they proceeded back down to the now empty café.

Alice made three teas and brought them to the table which she sat down at, at John and Rose's request of course.

"So how long have you been working here?" Rose asked as she sipped her tea.

"Just started this morning. It has been one hell of a day, though. It feels like I have been here for months," Alice groaned, cradling her head in her hand.

"Are you supposed to be here all night?" John questioned with a note of concern in his eyes. "And you have been here all day?"

"Well… yeah. But I need the money so…" Alice tried to cover her mistake. "And it isn't like I am at school anymore. I just left th-this year."

_Remember, you are supposed to be sixteen, _she reminded herself.

"You look wrecked. No offence," Rose quickly added.

"Oh, don't worry. I know I must look awful."

A hush of silence fell over the three for that moment, and Alice chose to take the time to study the people in front of her.

Rose looked around twenty. The first thing that struck Alice was how exceptionally pretty she was. Her hair was a beautiful blonde, not the dull kind that Alice's was, and was tied up in a messy bun. She had a fair amount of makeup on, again opposite to Alice. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous of the blonde but pushed away the thought quickly.

John was bald with larger than normal ears that gave him the goofy look that Alice had noticed earlier. _It adds character, _she thought with a grin. He had a leather jacket around his shoulders and a mossy green jumper underneath. The one thing that struck Alice about John was his eyes. As Frank's had been, they were kind and had a tiny twinkle in the corner of them. Of course, that could have been the street light but it was nice to think that it was kindness. It was so rare these days.

"Well, we'd better be getting to bed," John announced, pushing his chair back and standing to his feet.

Rose did the same.

"Sorry, we didn't get your name," she grinned sheepishly looking at Alice.

"Alice," Alice replied without thinking, "Alice Lockwood."

"Good night then, Alice."

Both went up the stairs and disappeared into the room.

Suddenly, a sharp shot of pain stung the side of Alice's head. She clapped a hand to it and winced, feeling for a chair to sit down on. The pain stayed for a few seconds, then ebbed away.

_It must be just because you are tired._

The pain was fully gone now, but Alice realised truly how draining the last week or so had been and how bloody tired she was. No wonder John looked like he was about to call an ambulance for her. Gathering up her pinny and using it as a pillow, Alice crept quietly behind the counter and laid there out of sight of the café window for a little privacy.

The floor was cold and uncomfortable but it was at least somewhere to stay and even better, she was getting paid for it. She had completely forgotten about Avaritia in the time that she had been waitressing. Sylvia had kept her so busy that she didn't have time to worry, only if the coffee was overflowing or they had ran out of cake.

You would think that forgetting for a while would be a good thing, but now the reality of it all came crashing down on her shoulders like a pair of dumbbells falling from the ceiling and landing directly on her bones. She groaned and nestled further into her pillow. She just wanted sleep to claim her and then she would wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and one step closer to paying Avaritia back.

This thought was as comforting as Alice had hoped. Just repeating it over and over in her mind, it began to internalize and she felt her eyelids drooping. However, just as her lashes met, the sound of a loud thumping noise at the door made them snap back open.

"If this is Sylvia, I am going to throw a brick at her," Alice muttered sleepily as she pulled herself up off the floor and shuffled with her blanket around her shoulders over to the door.

The closer she got, the silhouette became clearer and she managed to make it out to be the figure of a man.

_Customer._

Alice opened the door and looked blearily up at the man, but not really _looking._ See, if she had been _looking_, she may have seen the shiny glimmer of the knife in his hand.

"I'm sorry, we are closed until-" she was immediately cut off.

"Hello, Alice Lockwood."

* * *

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